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Language of the Valley
'Phonetic' 'Syllable structure' Type: CVC #Head (or initial consonant): all the consonants. #Body (or simply vowel): all the vowels. #Tail (or final consonant): all the consonants except B (ㅂ), G (ㄱ), D (ㄷ), Z (ㅅ). Note: All the final voiced consonants ("tail") between 2 simple vowels become voiceless. 'Consonants' Note: *T/D = sounds like Spanish or Italian, not like in English. *G = voiceless like in "Guardian" *J = can be pronounced in 3 different way: "ch" like in church, "j" like in "joke", but more commonly "j" like in "jarden" (french) *Z = sound like "s" in "rose" 'Vowels, grammatical and natural diphtongs' 'Reduction and reinforcement' Reduction and reinforcement is a way to semantically reduce or reinforce a syllable meaning and affects the central vowel of the syllable itself. Generally adding y- reduces the meaning, w- reinforces it. However, some sounds cluster isn't allowed (e.g. basic -o = red. yo = reinf. oa // basic -i = red. wi = reinf. ei). Exemple of reduction and reinforcement: *'Bol' = pot/casserole/basket (basic meaning: container/holder/receptacle) *''Byol'' (reduced) = basin/bowl/dish (as per a smaller container) *''Boal ''(reinforced) = barrel/cask (as per a bigger container) *''Jom'' = fire / burn *''Jaom'' (reinforced) = bushfire / forestfire 'Word fusion' When 2 or more syllables merge together to make a new word, the final consonats of the 1st syllable merge with the first consonant of the 2nd syllable (cVc + cVc = cVCCVc; where "c" is a consonant and "CC" is a new consonant cluster after the junxion) 1° Group: -P, –T, –K, –S, –Sh, –J: *Cause the gemination of the next consonants and are assimilated. *S+R, SH+R and J+R = always JJ. 2° Group: -M, -N: *Become M- before P, B, M. *Become N- before T, D, K, G, S, Z, SH, J e N. *M+L and N+L = ND. *M+R and N+R = NJ. 3° Group: -L, -R: *Keep the same before P, B, T, D, K, G, M, N. *Cause the gemination before S, Z, SH, J and are assimilated. 'General Grammar' 'Word Order' 1. Topic = has not a specific grammatical marker, but is always at the first place of the sentence. It can collide with the subject in nominative form. It could be also in the genitive (subject's or object's attribute), locative (expressing time like "in summer" or places like "at home") or even vocative (like in the sentence: "Oh John, I used your pen!"). 2. Subject = the actor of the action. 3. Dative = the actor receiving the action. 4. Object = the object of the action. 5. Verb = the action. 6. Other oblique cases. This could be a standard phrase: John gave me a piece of the apple at home. "Apple" is genitive because is refered to "a piece" (a piece of apple), not to John and since it's the topic of what we are talking about, goes to the first place. 'Noums' Syllables (often CVC) are inflected by cases. 'Suffix' *State: radix + -a (ㅏ) *Movement: radix + -i (ㅣ) Suffixes mediate between the radix and the case. It can be considered as part of the case itself, however it has its own meaning (static vs dynamic). Exemple: *''Bolani ''(static + -ni = locative): is in the pot. *''Bolini ''(dynamic + -ni = illative): goes to the pot. 'Plural' *Radix + suffix + case + -ri (리) It goes after the case. Exemple: *''Bola ''(the pot) -> '' bolari ''(the pots) *''Bolani ''(in the pot) -> bolaniri (in the pots) *''Bolini'' (to the pot) -> boliniri (to the pots) 'Static cases (state suffix)' 'Dynamic cases (movement suffix)' 'Adjective' 'Positive grade (or zero grade)' *Radix + -i (ㅣ) (Invariable). Exemple: *''huzi'' = good, genuine (from hus "genuinity") 'Comparative grade' *Majority: adjective + -ka (카) *Minority: adjective + -shi (지) *Equality: adjective Exemples: *''huzi ''= good / as good as *''huzika'' = better *''huzishi'' = less good 'Comparative word order' *''With noums'': adjective + comparative + genitive. *''With adjectives'': majority + minority Exemples: * wih noums: huzika masho = better than me (litt. better of me) * with adjectives: huzika ranishi'' = better than happy (litt. more good and less happy, e.g. "she's more good than happy") '''Superlative grade It uses the same comparative form with nothing next. Exemple: *'''''huzika = the best 'Demostrative adjectives/pronoums and adverbs' Since they end with -h, they aren't really pronouns, nor adjectives (-i). They are adverbs but act like adjectives too. *''Sheh'' (정): "here", but also "this/these". *''Teh'' (텅): "there", but also "that/those". Exemples: *This girl = the "here"'' girl, the girl here, near to me. *That boy = the "''there" boy, the boy there, near to you. 'Adjectival Verb (nominal phrase)' *Adjective + -z (ㅅ) + verbal inflection. An adjectival verb is simply an adjective merged with a contraction ('-z-') of the verb "to be" (zir). It acts as a verb. Exemple: *I am good = huzizam (litt. "good-be-me"). As adjectives do, an adjectival verb can get superlative grade too. Exemple: *I am better/the best = huzikazam (litt. "good-more-be-me"). 'Participle *''Active'' (acts like a noun or adjective): radix + -ari (ㅏ리) (e.g. teach'ing', but also teach'er') *''Passive'' (acts like an adjective): radix + -ui (ㅟ) (e.g. teach'ed') *''Potential'' (acts like an adjective): radix + -idi (ㅣ디) (e.g. teach'able') The active participle ''is used as a nominalization of the verb and can stand for: *Agent noun: the agent of the action, otherwise the "thing" performing the action. *Adjective: it turns a verb into an adjective. ''Exemples: *''jom ''= fire (radix) *'''''jomi = worm, hot (adjective) *''jomari ''= (adj.) burning / (n.) kettle [ <= burn-er] (active participle) *''jomui'' = burned (passive participle) *''jomidi ''= inflammable (potential participle) 'Personal pronoums' 'Personal pronoum: ma (me)' 'Personal pronoum: ka (you)' 'Personal pronoum: sha (he/she)' Note: It doesn't distinguish the gender. 'Verb' 'Verb structure' Verbs are structured as following. #Radix = the meaning-career part of the verb #Diathesis = the voice that express the relationship between verbs and their arguments. #Mood = the modality which the speaker expresses their attitude toward the action. #Aspect = indicates if the action is ended or continous. #Person = indicates who's doing the action. #Number = indicates singolarity or plurality. Exemple using all the stems: *''Junijishimi ''= We can see each other (but also "we can meet"). Let's break the verb down: #''Jun ''= the radix syllable meaning "to see". #-''ij''- = diathesis/voice that express reciprocity and can evolves the verb from "see each other" to "meet". "Seen each other" means "we stand one in front of the other, we meet each other". #''-i''- = potential mood, expressing possibility. #''-shi- ''= imperfective indicates that the action is actual and it's not yet over. #''-m''- = first person. #''-'i'''- = plural for the first person. Another exemple: *''Junagutekari ''= You (plural) would had the desire to show. Let's break it down: #''Jun'' = the radix syllable meaning "to see". #-''ag''- = diathesis/voice that express causativity and can evolves the verb from "see" to "make see/show". #-''u''- = optative mood, expressing desire or will. #-''te''- = perfective indicates that the action is over. #-''ka''- = second person. #-''ri''- = plural for the second and third person. Note: Since the language was originally spoken by an Elf race, the language itself prefers aspects than tences. For an almost immortal Elf, time/tence is not that important. He doesn't care if the action was in the past, in the future or is happening right now. The point is "Is it already done/finished?". A verb like huzizashim means a sort of "I'm good and I'm continuing to be like that", while huzizatem means "I am good and I've finished to be like that". 'Diathesis (voice) *Active: zero-stem *Passive: -ib- (ㅣㅂ) *Reflexive: -em- (ㅓㅁ) *Reciprocal: -ij- (ㅣㅊ) *Causative: -ag- (ㅏㄱ) Diathesis can make the verb evolving into what in English seems to be another verb. Exemple: *'''''Junib = passive "been saw" *''Junem'' = reflexive "see myself" *''Junij'' = reciprocal "see each other" -> "meet" *''Junag'' = causative "make see / let see" -> "show" *''Johnada holemam'' = reflexive "I call myself John" -> "my name is John" [hol = "call, name"] *''Holag ''= causative "send someone to call someone else" -> "to summon". *''Jomag ''= causative "make something burns" -> "boil, coock" [jom = "fire"]. Even mixing each other: *''Junijib ''= reciprocal + passive "been met" *''Junijem ''= reciprocal + reflexive "meet myself" *''Junagem ''= causative + reflexive "show myself, be present at something, preside, take part in" 'Mood' *Indicative: -a- (ㅏ) ( I see) *Optative: -u (ㅜ) (I want to see, I would like to see, I desire to see, I would see) *Potential: -i (ㅣ) (I can see, I could see) *Imperative: -oa (ㅘ) (I must see, I have to see, I should see) Exemples: *''Junam'' = I see. *''Junum'' = I want to see, I would see, I would like to see, I desire to see. *''Junim'' = I can see, I could see, there's a chance, probability or possibility that I see. *''Junoaka'' = See!, you must see, you have to see, you should see. 'Aspect' *Aorist: zero-stem *Imperfective: -shi- (지) *Perfective: -te- (터) *Future: -ra- (라) Exemple: *''zira'' = it is (undeniable truth over times) *''zirashi'' = it is (still running) *''zirate'' = it is (over) *''zirara'' = it will be Again: *''Johnada ziram'' = I'm John, I'm always been John and will be John even when I'll be dead. *''Johnada zirashim'' = at the moment, I'm John *''Johnada ziratem'' = I'm John nomore, I finished to be John (it's not really a past or a negation, it simply states that the "action of been John" is done, is over). *''Johnada ziraram ''= I will be John, one day... We can say also: *Aorist = the door is always opened, forever. *Imperfective = I'm closing the door. *Perfective = the door is closed. *Future = the door isn't closed yet, but it will be. Note 1: As we stated before, the language is more aspectual than temporal. However the imperfective has a sense of present, while perfective has a sense of past. For instance, we can state that "I'm sitting, I sit" is imperfective, while "I'm seated" is perfective. Note 2: as per the verb zir (to be), the future plays an unexpected effect. Let's see below: *I will be in the town (static) = kemani ziraram (town.LOC be.IND.FUT.1sp) *I go to the town (dynamic) = kemini ziraram (town.ILL be.IND.FUT.1sp) "I will be" somehow also express that "I go" (...so I will be there.) Also with verbal adjective contrustions (let's remember that -''z ''is a contraction of zir): *I'm good = huzizam ''(genuinity.ADJ.be.IND.1sp) *I become good = ''huzizaram (genuinity.ADJ.be.IND.FUT.1sp) "I will be good" express that "I become good" (... so I will be good). Thus, we can assume that the verb zir (to be) can also mean "to become" and/or "to go" by the future aspect. 'Person *First: -m (므) *Second: -ka (카) *Third: zero-stem 'Number' *Singolar: zero-stem. *Plural for the first person: -i (ㅣ) *Plural for the other persons: -ri (리) 'Flection of jom=fire' Basic syllables and derivations *Radix: '''''jom = basic meaning "fire, to burn" *Reduced: jyom = flame *Reinforced: joam = forestfire Plural (valid for any forms: noun and verbs) *Plural (nominative): jyomari = flames Cases *Nominative: joma = the fire (subject) *Vocative: a joma = oh the fire! *Accusative: jomada = the fire (object) *Genitive: jomasho = of the fire *Locative: jomani = in the fire (without motion) *Dative: jomida = to the fire, for the fire *Ablative: jomisho = from the fire (with motion) *Illative: jomini = to the fire, in the fire, toward the fire (with motion) Adjectives and derivations *Adjective: jomi = warm, hot *Comparative of majority: jomika = warmer, hotter *Comparative of minority: jomishi = less warm, less hot *Adjectival verb: jomiz-'' = to be warm, to be hot Participles *Active: ''jomari = burning / "bern-er" -> kettle *Passive: jomui = burned *Potential: jomidi = inflammable Diathesis or voices *Active: jom-'' = to burn *Passive: ''jomib-'' = to be burned *Reflexive: ''jomem- ''= to burn oneself -> to get burned *Reciprocal: ''jomij-'' = to burn each other -> to talk excitedly (figurative) *Causative: ''jomag-'' = to make burn -> to boil, to coock Moods *Indicative: ''joma-'' = burn *Optative: ''jomu-'' = would burn, want to burn *Potential: ''jomi-'' = could burn, can burn *Imperative: ''jomoa-'' = should burn, must burn, have to burn Aspects (in the indicative mood) *Aorist: ''joma-'' = (never-ending) burn *Imperfective: ''jomashi''- ''= is/are burning (right now)'' *Perfective: ''jomate-'' = is/are done with burning (burning is over) *Future: ''jomara-'' = will burn, going to burn Persons (plus indicative mood and imperfective aspect) *First: ''jomashim'' = I'm burning *Second: '' jomashika'' = you are burning *Third: ''jomashi''''' = he/she/it is burning